My proposition:
Dates should only be blocked by Airbnb when there is a confirmed reservation.
- A booking request should not block dates
- "verfication pending" should not block dates
- "Awaiting payment" should not block dates (at least not for 24 hours).
If you receive several inquires from potential guests just asking reasonable questions and then one booking request is coming in for similar dates, those other guests (pre-approved or not) get the message: dates or not available (anymore)
This is false information as long the booking request is not accepted !
Airbnb: stop acting as a control freak !
I am now receiving a lot of inquires/requests from international students, starting in the new semester. It is extremely difficult and annoying to manage this due to Airbnb's "blocking the dates" policy. Some potential guests live in total different time-zone, communication takes much more time. And in the mean time the "let's book the place" lunatics (New profile, No ID verified, No reviews, Not reading the listing and Not having any questions at all) pop in, totally messing up things by blocking the dates.
BTW
Maybe give hosts an extra option: "only want to receive inquiries".